In loving memory of my mother, who passed away on 3/15/16, one month after a ruptured brain aneurysm on Valentine’s Day, 5 years after this DIY Sugar Cubes post was written. My favorite part about this is reading my mom’s comment (aka: “Your Biggest Fan”). I miss her everyday and dedicate this recipe to her (even though it kind of already was based off of my story below).
I have several memories from my childhood of going along with my mother to her place of work. Back in the day, my mom worked as shoplifting security for a popular clothing store. This was when 2-way mirrors were the thing and someone stood behind it, watching for the shady folk.
That was my mother behind the window. One of my favorite stories was of her chasing down a shoplifter while wearing high heels. That woman is hardcore. Don’t allow the adorable exterior to fool you. If she catches you stealing, she will chase you down. In pumps. And a cute 2 piece skirt suit.
I like her.
Okay, so there is a point to why I am bringing this all up. Yeah yeah yeah, I’m getting to it… I got sidetracked, so sue me. So among my many visits to my mother’s workplace, I remember sugar cubes. Lots of sugar cubes. I’m not sure if these are as popular as they were back in the 80’s, but it was a very common thing to have a box full of sugar in the shape of cubes to plop into your tea or coffee-filled styrofoam cup. Except I never wasted my time watching it melt into hot beverages. No, I put that thing right into my mouth. On a special day I would nibble it slowly, savoring every sweet bite. Healthly, really.
When I saw this recipe for DIY Sugar Cubes on ehow I knew it would be a fun thing to do for Valentine’s Day!
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DIY Sugar Cubes
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: Approx 30 sugar hearts 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp hot water
- 2–3 drops food coloring of choice
- shallow, mini mold (I used a heart-shaped one)
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water together. The texture should resemble wet sand. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more water. If too wet, add a little more sugar.
- Add food coloring and mix until completely combined.
- Place spoonfuls of sugar mixture into heart candy molds. Press down with your fingers, making sure it is niced pressed into its shape.
- Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes in tray. Taking a cutting board, place on top of tray and flip over so the hearts will gently pop out onto the board. Do not touch at this point–Allow to sit for another 60 minutes to harden.
These days, I no longer put sugar in my coffee or tea (nor do I eat it straight up either) but I am sure some of my friends do, which is why they will be getting a little baggie full of these cuties this Valentine’s Day. Maybe I will send a few to my mother as well…
these are just too cute. TOO cute.
I love the story – your mom sounds like just the kind of spitfire I like to hang out with. no wonder I like you 🙂
I never had sugar cubes, but when I was younger and chewing gum All The Time, I would dip it in the sugar bowl once the flavor was gone. Geez, typing that just now made my teeth hurt!
Hilarious! I never thought to dip my gum into sugar. See? You were already creative in the kitchen as a little girl. I was too busy just eating Fun Dip to think of inventive things like that 🙂
Fun!!! Colored sugar cube hearts! 🙂 soooo talented and creative!
I love the story of your mom – great imagery and I couldn’t help but laugh!
Isn’t she adorable??? I love her so. So happy you got a kick out of that story.
These sugar hearts are so much more yummy looking than those cubes you used to have in the styrofoam cups!
I’m the one who probably got the biggest kick out of this wacky story ***that sound you hear is me laughing hysterically at that memory, one of many*** {ah, the things I used to do to put food on the table – albeit not necessarily the right kind of food} You knew I’d have to weigh in on this 🙂
Oh, and by the way…a word of advise…you’re feet WILL remember (not pleasantly) running in high heels!
<3 You!
Yeah, and then my hands WILL remember what it feels like to rub those feet who thought it a good idea to run in heels 🙂
I was wondering when you would join the conversation…
I have a friend who ALWAYS puts sugar in her coffee. I bet she’d really like something like this. And…I just happen to have a big ol’ box of raw sugar (left over from the holidays – I sware – ha ha) and some cute molds. Hum…Thanks for the idea! Oh, and I remember sugar cubes too. There was always a box of them in the breakroom at my first real job in high school. Wish I could say, “Good memories,” but not so much :-/
eeeeeeee, it’s Valentine’s Day/sugar cube fate!!!! xo
These are so sweet and lovely. And thanks for sharing the memories of your mum and childhood with us too,
It’s always worth seeing who gets a kick out of these wacky stories. They are stored in my brain for a reason, I might as well share them 🙂 xo
What a lovely story Cara? It’s ineresting the events we remember from childhood. Your mum sounds completely AWESOME!
These look ever so sweet (both literally and methaphorically). I, like you, no longer have sugar in my tea or coffee BUT I think these would be great on top of swirls of frosting on cupcakes. Thanks for the inspiration, as always. 🙂
Nina
Oh, and I meant to say, your photography is top notch! I always think so and thought it was about bloody time I said so! 😉 Even your seriously nutty posts (the ones with lots of nuts in them as opposed to posts that are a bit bonkers, hehe) make me want to try them. This is due to your glorious photographs…. and nuts don’t even LIKE me!
I think the bonkers posts are the reason I keep coming back, well, kept coming back. Now I just you for yourself, Cara.
That is because you yourself are bonkers, Laurel. Which is inevitably why I like you 🙂
WOW. Really? I always think my pictures are meh (probably because sites like FoodGawker and Taste Spotting NEVER publish my stuff–I’m not high class enough, or something). <–given me a complex 🙂 THANK YOU for saying that though. That brightened my day, really!!! xo
My mum (I am going to spell it like that from now on!) *is* awesome. One tough cookie.
I love the idea of them on top of the cupcakes, Nina–you are inspiring me…
I love that story about your mother. “Step away from the merchandise, hands in the air.” Imaginary gun at the ready and all. I always knew you had a sparkly heart and this post just proves it.
I sparkle like Edward from “Twilight” 🙂
My mother is really a badass. Love that woman.
How cute! If I ever made these my daughter is going to finish the entire jar in minutes 🙂
The things we eat as kids, I tell you. ha
Awesome! I never would have thought you could make your own sugar cubes! So creative and talented and wonderful and awesome and lovely (do I qualify for a bag of sugar hearts yet?) and delicious and stunning and nomalicious and crunchy and cute and… 😉
This list is incomplete. I need 2 more adjectives…
Courageous and caring…
SOLD! haha. Sugar cubes in the shape of hearts, coming up!
that is a super cool story:) moms are so much fun..my mom used to love to race on her 2 wheeler bicycle kind of thing(Luna) with the maz driving speed of i think 40 or 50 mph. go figure.. she saw one happening when she was passing by with my kid sister(3 or 4 yr old then), so she just participated in it with my sis standing on the front bar of the 2 wheeler, and of course won. this is what the luna looks like http://www.infibeam.com/SDP.action?catalogId=P_A_B_KINETICLUNATFRPLUS2007
:))
i love those cute little sugar hearts.. they can also be a cool way to control the sugar intake i guess.. no more than 2 hearts in a cup!
i changed the setting on my blog.. so let me know if u can comment.. i am missing your super fun comments!!
I now want a pic of your mom on that bike. I love her.
I put a sugar a piece of the sugared heart into my fav 5 year old’s coffee yesterday and the face he made was hysterical! I guess he is not a fan of sweetened java 🙂
my mom is in the video where chewie is doing the rollover..find it on my gluten filled bread post!:)
i am making an album of indian curries and daals on fb today..and the most recent whole red lentil daal has info on what spices and combinations to use in the tadka to temper the lentils.
Its a crazy day today.. Things keep falling on me from my baking cabinet every time i open it. i think i know what i am (read mostly hubby) is doing this weekend…reorg!
HAHA! That gives me a great image of you opening up the cupboards 🙂 Looks like this is a job for Cara the organizer!!
i keep forgetting to tell you how awesome u r.. i would never think of making kisses or sugar hearts or candy…:)
i am just in a mad mood today coz a friend bought a puppy from a breeder.. after my incessant information overload about what is wrong about buying.. ahhh
anyway.. i will not subject u to the bad mood or to gluten reading.. so here is chewie’s youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/TheChewter 🙂
and keep on with these awesomely creative and super fantastic posts!
(note to self: stop stalking cara)
Noooooooooooo, don’t stop stalking me!! I live for that–I sugar cube heart you and all your fun comments. I hear you about the breeding mills, etc. So heart breaking really. I know that it only perpetuates that type of business when you buy from them, but on the brighter side, at least that pup has someone to love them… xo P.S. The Chewter is adorable! He is way your fur baby 🙂
Super Cute and AMAZING – I always used sugar cubes for school projects, like building igloos and houses….aparantly I never caught onto the craze of sugar cubing it straight up 🙂
Love that you shared that memory of your Mom ( I can picture her body slamming a perp in her heels and 2 piece suite, then fixing her lipstick afterwards, great imagery!) – I love getting to know you through these memories!
Sugar cubing it straight up. heh. I like that expression 🙂
It’s as if you already know my mother with that imagery. That is pretty right on, really…
What a fun story about your mom! Imagining her in a smart two-piece business suit and heels and chasing down shoplifters sounds like the trappings of a 1980’s TV show. It could be like “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” or “Hart to Hart.” Then after she’s nabbed the guy and he’s headed for the station in handcuffs, she can go back to the break room to put a heart shaped sugar cube in her coffee. It’s all in a day’s work.
Speaking of sugar cubes, how pretty are your little cubes? Very!
Or even Cagny and Lacy. I imagine her lighting up a cigarette, handing over the shoplifter to the deputy, *then* putting the sugar cube into her coffee, and walking away into the sunset 🙂 haha
these look BEAUTIFUL! i thought you were going to tell us that the woman who shoplifted stole a jeweled heart locket! that’s what they remind me of- jewelry 😉
See how food can take down many paths??? 🙂 hehe. They kind of *do* look like jewels huh?
These look great!
Thank you so much, Christina! I appreciate you stopping by 🙂